Birthday Celebration Policy During COVID-19

[dolores]

Precovid my birthday celebration policy was the child's parents' would provide cupcakes for everyone and a candle for the birthday child's cupcake. In light of covid, what is your birthday celebration policy at your program? A parent asked and its something I hadn't thought of.

[e.j.]

I haven't given it much thought since I don't have any birthdays coming up until late fall but usually we have a low-key celebration. The birthday child gets to pick a book and small toy from the Birthday Box and we have cupcakes for dessert after lunch. Most parents offer to provide cupcakes but some don't or they forget to bring them so I like having something on hand just in case. I usually either bake cupcakes ahead of time or buy them pre-made/on sale and then freeze them until I need to use them. This year, I'll probably just let them know I'll provide them for all birthdays.

[DaveA]

I don’t much for DCK’s birthdays. If I did I would supply whatever treats for the kiddos.

[Cat Herder]

I provide everything for the party (decorations, food, big gift) and the kids bring one gift each for the birthday child. No names on gifts to prevent mom* shaming. $20 limit.

Families with multiple kids receive multiple gifts therefore are expected to contribute as such or simply not participate. As the host, I think it is rude to expect each of your kids to receive gifts on their birthdays but only bring gifts from one of them on others birthdays. Rude, selfish and entitled. Change my mind.

* I have never had dads shame one another for the price of kids birthday gifts. Forget entirely? Sure. But compare and keep score of the cost of gifts? Nope. That's a mom thing.

Nothing changed with the birthday party policies, here, for COVID. Kids have already lost enough.

[Cat Herder]

Clarification:

Simply not participate = Check the box on your enrollment forms and I will purchase, lovingly wrap and provide a gift for each of your children to present to the birthday child at the party. No one will ever know besides you and me.

Same for the Christmas gift exchange.

Invite your child's closest friends to your birthday party. The main thing is that everyone is healthy. Next, you need to carefully clean the apartment so that the dust doesn't carry infections. That is all. I celebrated my daughter's birthday a month ago, and it went great. We invited seven people and ordered a lot of food. The children had fun and even decided to order baby-shower-games. While the young people were having fun in the guest room, I called their parents to the kitchen to drink to my daughter's health. After the birthday, all the children remained healthy.